Rotary engine.



N. A. ROBERTS. ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.20. 191s.

Patented July 10, 1917. 1

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

l N V E N TO F ATTORNEY N. A. ROBERTS. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APFLZO, l9l6.

Patented July 10, 191?.

ATTO'RNEY NATHAN A. ROBERTS, OF PUTNAM, CONNECTICUT.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

Application filed. April 20, 1916. Serial No. 92,487.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, NATHAN A. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Putnam, in the county of WVindham and State. of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to rotary engines, and the nature andobjects thereof will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art toWhich it appertains, in the light of the following explanation of theaccompanying drawings, illustrating what I now believe to be thepreferred embodiment, or mechanical expression, of my invention fromamong other forms and arrangements within the spirit thereof and thescope of the appended claims.

However, an object of the invention is to provide an engine of therotary type in which the inlet and exhaust ports will be of improvedform and arranged in such manner in the enlarged or thickened side ofthe cylinder as to properly direct the motive fluid to the piston of therotor and equally distribute the fluid throughout the length of thepiston for immediate expansion and thereby increase the rapidity ofrotation of the rotor and result in a very etficient machine.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an efficientrotary engine which will be composed of the minimum number of parts andof simple construction and operation.

'In addition to the foregoing, my invention comprehends improvements inthe details of construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafterdescribed and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which similar and corresponding partsare designated by the same characters of reference throughout theseveral views in which they appear;

Figure 1, is a vertical, longitudinal section through a rotary engineconstructed after the manner of my invention.

Fig; 2, is a transverse section through the engine illustrating therotor at the beginning of a working revolution.

' Fig. 8, is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a difierent positionof the rotor.

Fig. f, is a detail view in side elevation of the rotor, and

Fig. 5, is a view in perspective of the piston.

l/Vith reference to the drawings, 1 designates the cylinder casing of myengine, mounted upon a base 2, and provided with a longitudinalextending cylindrical bore 8, which is preferably eccentrically disposedso as to provide a relatively wide portion at the upper part of thecylinder for the passage therethrough of fluid ports. Cylinder heads 4,are removably secured to each end of the cylinder by means of bolts 5,each cylinder head having formed upon its inner surface a cylindricalboss or enlargement 6, which is concentrically disposed within the boreand spaced from the inner surface of said bore to form an annularchannel 7.

A rotor 8, in the form of a cylinder is eccentrically mounted within thebore of the casing, and is provided with reduced portions 9 at eitherend, forming shafts which are journaled in openings 10 centrally formedin the cylinder heads 4. The rotor 8, is formed with a transverselyextending diametrical recess 11 for the reception of a radially movablepiston 12 which is formed at opposite ends with extensions 13 adapted toengage the annular channels 7 and the sides of the bore and the bosses6. A longi-,

tudinal recess 14B is formed at the outer end of the piston for thereception of a packing strip 15 which is normally held in engagementwith the inner surface of the bore by means of resilient elements 16.

A radially extending recess 17 is formed at the upper portion of thecylinder and in the inner surface of the bore for the reception of amovable packing strip 18 normally held in engagement with the peripheryof the rotor by means of coil springs 19 seated in recesses 20intersecting the recess 17.

Ports 21 are formed in the surface of the bore at each side of thepacking strip 18, and extend throughout the length of the bore, and areformed with converging sides 22, leading toward the top of the cylinderfor communication with a vertical opening in which supply, or exhaustpipes 23 are connected.

In the operation of this engine steam or other cxpansible fluid isadmitted into one of the pipes 23, and permitted to expand in the port21 in communication therewith, from which port the fluid expands intothe crescent shaped space within the cylinder formed by the eccentricdisposition of the rotor therein. The expansion of the steam within saidspace and between the packing strip and the piston 12, causes rotationof the rotor, the said piston meanwhile being retained in engagementwith the surface of the bore and following the contour thereof duringrotation of the rotor by the engagement of the extensions 13 of thepiston in the annular channel 7. The expanded steam from a previousworking revolution is exhausted into the atmosphere through the portlocated at the other side of the packing strip, the exhaustion beingaccelerated by the movement of the piston which decreases the volume ofthe crescent shaped space at the exhaust side of the engine. It isobvious that the rotation of the rotor may be reversed by admitting thesteam into the other port 21-, whereupon the first mentioned portperforms the functions of an exhaust port. Power may be taken from theengine by means of a pulley (not shown) on one of the shafts 9, and ifthe machine is to be employed in the capacity of a pump power may belikewise applied to said pulley.

Owing to the diverging shape of the ports, the fluid under pressure maybe applied instantly to the piston throughout its length for immediateexpansion and thereby increase the rapidity of rotation of the rotor andresult in a very eflicient machine.

lVhile I have described my invention with some degree of particularity,various ways of reconstructing the same to employ the principlespresented therein will occur to those skilled in the mechanical arts,and I therefore reserve the right and privilege of changing the form ofthe details of construction or otherwise altering the arrange ment ofthe correlated elements without departing from the spirit of theinvention, or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A rotary engine including a cylinderhaving a longitudinal bore eccentrically disposed to form a thickenedportion at one side of the cylinder and exhaust and inlet ports in saidthickened portion cylinder heads having circular enlargements extendingconcentrically into the bore and spaced from the sides thereof to formannular side of the cylinder, said thickened portion having converginginlet and exhaust ports extended therethrough, cylinder heads havingenlargements extending concentrically into the bore and spaced from thesides thereof to form annular channels, a rotor eccentrically mounted inthe bore and engaging the cylinder at the thickened por tion thereof, amovable piston in the rotor and having extensions engaging in theannular channels, and a packing strip carried by said piston.

3. A rotary engine including a cylinder having a longitudinal boreeccentrically disposed to form a thickened portion at one side of thecylinder, said cylinder having exhaust and inlet ports in said thickenedportion, the walls of said exhaust and inlet ports diverging towardtheir inner ends, a rotor eccentrically mounted in the bore, a pistoncarried by said rotor and movable diametrically through said rotor, apacking strip carried by said piston, means retaining said packing stripin engagement with the wall of said cylinder during rotation of saidrotor, exhaust and inlet pipes connecting with said exhaust and inletports, said exhaust and inlet ports having converging sides leadingtoward the top of the cylinder for communication with the exhaust andinlet pipes, said converging sides of the exhaust and inlet portscausing application of the fluid under pressure to the piston throughoutits length for immediate expansion, thereby increasing the rapidity ofrotation of the rotor, and a resiliently mounted packing strip carriedby said cylinder and bearing upon said rotor.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' NATHAN A. ROBERTS. Witnesses: V

FERDINAND GAGNON, WESLEY W. I Dnn'rna;

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing; theflflommissioner .of Patents,

7 Washington, D.;Q.

